The case of the mysterious lady
by eriesalia
Summary: An AU mystery story idea featuring one Aoshi Shinomori
1. Introducing Aoshi Shinomori

To anyone who cared, he just looked like another guest.  
  
Not quite as young as the fresh out of college interns who always peppered these events. And not as old as the politicians themselves.  
  
But this was one of those celebrity political events and he was just another tall, dark and handsome socialite like the rest of them. Just another Hollywood playboy, with too much money on his hands and a bug for traveling.  
  
But a very wide-open wallet.  
  
That's what got him into a lot of these things. His generosity and his interest in donating to various foundations is what had him constantly rubbing elbows with celebrities of all kinds -- including those who thought themselves above most West coast fundraisers. But there were other reasons to be here.  
  
A chance encounter five years ago at one of his benefits had started him down this path he was taking now. Kamatari had been the name of the guest, although that evening he was a "she." Aoshi had ferreted out the imposter fairly easily, and for some reason decided to ask why he did what he did. Kamatari had simply shrugged, and said that he did these things for fun. There was so much one could learn here and those who were kings of information in this day and age controlled destiny itself.  
  
The words had been a bit grandiose, but he considered them anyways. He had instinctively known that somehow With his money and connections, he had access to a whole world that most people had no idea existed. Kamatari had clued him on a way to make the boredom of wealth more tolerable.  
  
Just as Kamatari found masquerading as a woman to be useful, his wealth also served its purpose. So he embarked on a journey then that took him deeper and deeper into new and exciting territory.  
  
Aoshi Shinomori had become a spy.  
  
Rogue detective was more like it... but he was careful to mask his identity through a series of off-shore accounts, answering services and numerous firewalls and his secret weapon.  
  
He worked for whoever he felt like or whose case he felt couldn't be refused. As a rule, he never delved into anything that would catch the eye of the real deals -- the guys who worked the top chains of spy agencies of various governments; however, the things that couldn't' go through official channels or things that the government did not want documented occasionally found his way for him.  
  
These were cases that always involved sensitive issues -- those that were usually to be hushed up once the truth was discovered. And he was always careful to be discreet. However, he also was clear with his clients that he kept everything somewhere safe; meaning, if he were to suddenly turn up dead, deals of secrecy were nullified. It kept his clients from offing him -- that is if they could ever figure out his true identity. It kept them wanting to keep him alive.  
  
That might not be great terms for his clients -- but he was clearly one of the best, and the best were worth keeping handy, weren't they?  
  
Glass of whisky in hand, he made his rounds chatting with 'good friends' here and there like any good socialite. None ever noted that the entire time he had managed to stand with a clear view of the entrance and where he could overhear a number of conversations.  
  
Tonight he was on assignment again. A fairly simple one. He was supposed to check out yet another shady character, one who was just another small- time drug lord masquerading as businessman. Small potatoes, really, in the grand scheme of criminals, but his client wanted to know what the man was up to anyways.  
  
He straightened his tie as he spotted the person he was waiting for. Thin, reedy, not much of a physical threat, but something about his eyes told Aoshi that Kanryuu Takeda wasn't to be underestimated.  
  
His companion, though, was slightly different. Aoshi frowned slightly as he got a glance of Takeda's companion.  
  
Tall, confident, beautiful, and with a mysterious smile -- he found himself unable to look away. His eyes told him that she was roughly the same age as him, and a woman of some society. She wasn't one of Takeda's normal floozies.  
  
As he watched a loud young woman make her way over to them, he realized that the beautiful woman wasn't Takeda's date by any means. Takeda was known to be scouting for capital to expand his operations. Perhaps this woman was part of one of the various cartels Takeda had eye on.  
  
Why that thought pleased him, he didn't know. But it opened up a certain course of possibilities in gaining information.  
  
His lips curled into a hint of a smile as he made his way over to them, his drink in hand.  
  
It looked like this assignment wasn't going to be so boring after all.  
  
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--- +--- a/n: This is an AU idea that came to me last night. Sort of a detective/noir story here. Can you guess who the lady in question is? :) And will I continue? Uhhh. Maybe later. When the other story finishes ;-)  
  
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	2. A call and a spill

"Mr. Shinomori."  
  
A young voice arrested him in his tracks. With an inward sigh, he stopped in his tracks and turned around to address the familiar voice.  
  
Misao Makimachi. Granddaughter to the man who was his attendant, personal assistant, butler and surrogate father -- the man known as his secret weapon. "Okina" was ailing as of late, and Aoshi reluctantly agreed to allow Misao to slowly take over his duties. It was not the most ideal situation, but his work required assistance, and Misao although young, was highly trained in a number of useful skills - including hacking and electronics.  
  
"There is a call for you, sir. It sounds important. "  
  
He appraised her coolly. It sounded routine, but the corner of her mouth was tight, as if something was in fact on her mind.  
  
"Very well. I'll take it outside."  
  
He placed his drink on the tray of a passing waiter and took the phone she held out to him. He walked outside slowly, smiling and nodding as he passed various familiar faces, aware that the girl was obediently following as he proceeded out to the balcony.  
  
Once outside, he brought the phone to his face. "Hello?" he spoke, knowing full well who would be on the other end.  
  
"Is Misao with you?"  
  
"Of course, Neji.*" Aoshi smiled vacantly for the benefit of two guests who were walking past.  
  
"You two should walk away slowly towards the garden. It's supposed to be very pretty."  
  
"I was rather enjoying the party." Aoshi said somewhat vaguely, ignoring Misao's slight frown as she heard the slight disagreement in his voice.  
  
"Lots of chatter on the network," Okina's voice sounded worried. "I can't make out what's going on - but I don't like it. "  
  
"I see. I'll send Misao ahead. I'd like her to make sure that our friends are in fact coming."  
  
"You should come with--"  
  
"I am going to go back in the party." Aoshi paused, thinking of a suitable excuse for Okina. "There's a rather pretty guest I'd like to see."  
  
A sigh came from the other end. "Even though normally I'd agree with your priorities here..."  
  
"She seems to be a friend of one of our dear friends -- a fellow by name of Kanryuu."  
  
The silence on the other end told him that Okina was sufficiently intrigued.  
  
"You have no objections then? I'd like to perhaps bring her over and have you meet her. I know you'd love to get more information on this woman -- trust me."  
  
Okina recovered. "I'll tap into the surveillance system and look for her. I'll get her dossier to you as soon as I can."  
  
"Good. I promise to not do anything reckless. If anything, I'll call you for your assistance."  
  
"Understood. And I'll put in a call into our friends too. Send Misao back, please."  
  
Aoshi turned the phone off and back to his assistant. He had heard the plea in Okina's voice. Whatever chatter was going out there had Okina worried enough to want his granddaughter out. And Misao, despite her qualifications, was still young -- too young to get involved in anything too dangerous. "Misao. I'm afraid you're going to have to tour that garden without me."  
  
"I see." Misao bowed slightly. "If you need anything, please call. Also, I've brought the case of wine into the kitchen as asked. If they run out-- "  
  
He nodded, pleased. "I think I'll head there now," he answered cheerily. "Wine is always appreciated."  
  
He saw her head lift, and a fleeting look of concern passed over her face before she disappeared into the garden.  
  
If Okina was right, he would really need that case.  
  
With a smile (most strange) plastered onto his face, he put his phone away casually and proceeded tipsily into the kitchen, laughing as he startled a few of the waiters who were busy scurrying about.  
  
They dismissed him, like they did most partygoers who had a little too much to drink, and were too busy running around with trays of hors d'oeuvres to notice him as he slipped quietly into the back storage room.  
  
With the door safely closed behind him, he made quick work of the wooden crates that housed 8 bottles of very expensive wine.  
  
The wine bottles out, he quickly located his gun and ammunition, as well as a few other accessories that were secreted in a cleverly designed false bottom of the case.  
  
The gun loaded, he slipped it into the accompanying holster in a place under his jacket.  
  
The rest of the wine he took out and made sure to open one and drink a healthy swag of it for good measure.  
  
His breath now reeking of alcohol, he made sure to walk a little bit slowly out of the room, bottle in hand. It amused him to see a few of the waiters who he passed on his way out roll their eyes.  
  
"Hey, Shinomori." A tall, young man with a head of unruly head eyed his bottled as he passed him. "What you have there?"  
  
Aoshi grinned as he recognized the man. This would be Sagara - the up and coming prizefighter, who was known for penchant for fine wine. He held out the bottle. "Private store . . . gift to the senator, but as he's a no- show, thought it could go to better use. So it's all yours."  
  
"Really?" Sanosuke grinned back. "This is some thousand dollar bottle and you're just going to give it away?"  
  
"Well," Aoshi shrugged. "I thought maybe I'd share it with a certain lady I had my eye on, but then I get a call, and the next thing you know..."  
  
"She's gone with some other chum, eh?" Sano sighed as he took the bottle and poured some of its contents into his empty glass.  
  
"Exactly."  
  
"You always seem to have terrible luck, Shinomori." Sano sighed lightly. "Unlike me. I actually got a few numbers this evening."  
  
Aoshi raised his eyebrow.  
  
"You think I'm kidding right?" He puffed his chest out a little, "But I'm not. For instance, the chick over there with that redhead? She gave me her card."  
  
Aoshi looked over in the direction of said woman, who was chatting up a storm with several other guests. He shook his head as he recognized the blue eyes and upturned nose and the man next to her. "Kaoru Kamiya, sports agent. The man next to her is her husband and former client. Didn't you know?"  
  
"Well, funny. No wonder why she was so pushy." Sanosuke's voice trailed off. "Well, guess that's one waste of a number."  
  
"Who else?" Aoshi crossed his arms.  
  
"Well there was that woman over there in the long blue dress."  
  
"Sanosuke," Aoshi muttered under his breath as he also recognized this woman. Kamatari sometimes, and other times -- "That's not a woman."  
  
Sanosuke's face turned an appropriate shade of blue. "W--e---l--ll"  
  
"Don't tell me," Aoshi sighed. "'She' came on to you didn't she?"  
  
Sanosuke swallowed loudly.  
  
"It's alright," Aoshi chuckled. "She and I met before too. But I out-ed her right away and told her to keep her hands off me."  
  
Sanosuke's shoulders shook slightly. Due to painful memories, Aoshi supposed. Sano was clearly demonstrating that he was not having a good run of luck.  
  
"What else?" Aoshi took the opportunity to refill Sanosuke's glass. The man looked like he needed the courage to continue.  
  
"Well," he took a gulp and then swirled the rest around in its glass nervously. "There is one more number, but I suppose the last one you're going to tell me is some 80 year grandmother who has had fifteen plastic surgeries..."  
  
"Perhaps," he intoned half-seriously. It wasn't unheard of these days. . .  
  
"Megumi Takani," Sanosuke muttered. "The woman who was with the freaky guy with glasses... thought she looked bored, so I asked her what she did. Turns out she's a clinician and starting her own biotech/chemicalcompany. I really wanted to ask her out, but-"  
  
"Let me guess," Aoshi smiled. "You asked for an appointment?"  
  
"Yeah," Sanosuke rubbed his head somewhat sheepishly. "My hands you know need to be taken care of better. They're the only thing I've got to use against my opponents..."  
  
Aoshi clapped him on the back. "I'm sure it'll be fine, Sano. She definitely didn't look like a cross-dressing sports agent to me."  
  
"That would be a relief."  
  
"But you want me to make a few calls?"  
  
"--Really?" Sanosuke interjected, a bit eagerly. "That would really make me feel better. Here's her card and you can start there."  
  
"No problem," Aoshi took the card and put it into his pocket. "I'll get back to you day after tomorrow then? We'll do lunch."  
  
"Of course," Sanosuke grinned. "I feel better, already thanks to you."  
  
"Well enough to keep trying?" Aoshi tilted his head.  
  
"Yeah," Sano finally smiled. "I can't keep striking out. Later, dude."  
  
"Later," Aoshi echoed, almost shaking his head with how persistent Sanosuke Sagara was and how, in general, he was overly trusting.  
  
His ability to trust others was really one of his redeeming qualities. However, it always used to frustrate their instructors back when they were both kids taking various martial arts. In a way, though, it meant Sano found happiness with much less than he did. Straightforward. Honest. And without a bone of deceit in his body.  
  
He hadn't even made the connection between the doctor he had hit on and the woman Aoshi supposedly had his eye on. Aoshi sighed at the man's gullibility. Well, at least Sano was able to do something for him which he hadn't yet succeeded in. He now had the name and the number of the woman who was with Kanryuu Takeda.  
  
And it did seem as if lady luck was smiling on him yet again. As he turned around to go obtain a glass of something not-alcoholic, he sighted the lady in question at the bar waiting for her drink.  
  
As she turned around with a tonic and lime in hand, he deliberately almost walked into her, forcing her drink to end up all over his jacket.  
  
"I'm so sorry," her eyes widened and suddenly she had magically produced a handkerchief from her purse and began dabbing the wet spots on the front of his jacket. "I didn't mean to be so clumsy... I'll pay to have my tailor clean it and fix it--"  
  
"It's alright," he clasped his hand around her hand and the soggy handkerchief. "I hated this tux anyways."  
  
At the touch of his hand, her eyes went wide and looked up at him in alarm.  
  
Confusion. Embarrassment. And attraction.  
  
These were the normal responses any woman who he turned his gaze on usually manifested. Soon she was involuntarily smiling back and staring into his eyes.  
  
She suddenly started.  
  
"Wait a minute," her voice turned cool. "Icy blue eyes. Black hair. Always impeccably dressed. My colleagues warned me about you, Mr. Shinomori."  
  
"Don't believe anything of what you heard," he answered half-seriously.  
  
"My hand--" she snatched her hand away and then tossed her head. "I've heard you're a ruthless man."  
  
"Ruthless?" He raised his eyebrow. "I'm actually quite a fair businessman."  
  
"I know, I know," she answered somewhat crossly. "It's not your business ethics or your charitable giving that's in question. It's how you treat women in general. You always enter into 'negotiations' but when the other party starts to agree to your demands, you always break it off."  
  
"Oh." It was true -- as part of his playboy image -- he was constantly dating various women and always dumping them the first minute they appeared to become attached to him.  
  
"If you'll excuse me--" She brushed past him coldly, ignoring the stare that Aoshi and the eavesdropping bartender gave her.  
  
Aoshi sighed.  
  
"Sir," the bartender spoke up finally, breaking the awkward silence. "Here's a nice shot of whiskey."  
  
"Thanks," Aoshi realized that he was still standing there like an idiot. He turned back to the bartender and eyed the drink. He moved his hand to place a generous tip in the jar.  
  
"No, no," the bartender waved him off. "I saw what happened. This one is on me."  
  
They exchanged half-smiles and Aoshi feigned to drink from it as he watched Megumi Takani disappear back into the crowd.  
  
Her response was exactly what he deserved for underestimating her.  
  
His normal little tricks worked on most Mary Sues and Bettys that he met at these things. But as her looks alluded to, she wasn't just any woman. He considered whether she would hang up on him if he were to call her asking about her accreditations.  
  
He nearly choked as he considered that she'd probably scream at him first and then hang up on him.  
  
Perhaps he would let Misao call.  
  
Except, he could also see the look of utter horror on Misao's face when he made the request. She *hated* calling his lady friends with a passion. It was the one thing about his public image that she disagreed with entirely.  
  
A sudden crash of glasses interrupted his thoughts.  
  
"He's got a gun!" came a cry, followed then by several screams.  
  
And then three gunshots rang out in sequence. And the room fell into darkness.  
  
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+-- a/n: * Neji=Okina's real name.  
  
Does this story have a point or a direction? Bah. I don't know. I just write according to the muse, and after a lot of studying today, I thought it'd be fun to plonk in some music and write.  
  
Aoshi is a little bit cheerier than he should be. In other words, I even think he's somewhat OOC so far. But he'll become more and more like the Aoshi we know as he sinks into action mode.  
  
Is this an Aoshi/Megumi fic? Hmm. If you know noir/ action stories, you should know the answer to this.  
  
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End file.
